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Business Insider
7 days ago
- Health
- Business Insider
Would you spend $5,000 to remove your eye bags?
Two years ago, Emily Gordon began taking note of her under eyes. They'd become increasingly prominent, puffy yet hollow, making her feel like she looked "exhausted" and "old" at just 27. At first, she thought sleep, paired with a clean diet and proper skincare regimen, was the solution. Regardless of her efforts, though, the bags persisted. "I'd wake up in the morning, I would see the eye bags, and I would try to avoid mirrors as much as possible," she said. That was until Gordon stumbled upon other women with the same eye bags on TikTok. Instead of just venting about them, they were documenting their lower blepharoplasty, a 90-minute, $5,000 procedure to permanently remove excess skin, fat, or muscle in the lower eyelid — also known as their under-eye bags. Four months later, she got her own bags removed. Now, Gordon loves her appearance — especially her smooth under eyes. "I have no eye bags, my under-eye area looks great, nice and smooth," she said. "I just felt on top of the world and just so happy that I decided to do it in the first place." Gordon is more than two decades younger than the average blepharoplasty patient, who's typically in their 50s and 60s, according to recent data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). Still, she isn't an anomaly — Gordon is one of a growing number of women opting for the procedure before turning 30. "A lot of the patients were 30s, 40s, and older. Now, we are seeing more 20s, 30s," said Dr. Pradeep Mettu, a North Carolina-based oculofacial plastic surgeon who specializes in the procedure. "There's no doubt it's shifted to even younger than it was before." Blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures in the United States, and it's only becoming more common. Reports from the ASPS, which use yearly surveys of thousands of board-certified physicians and data from a national plastic-surgery database, reveal the procedure's frequency rose about 18% from 2019 to 2023 alone. Although it's long been a favorite of those over 50 to discreetly address signs of aging, lower blepharoplasty is now growing in popularity among women in their 20s who, like Gordon, are hoping to look more fresh-faced and youthful. The twentysomething blepharoplasty boom Smooth, airbrushed undereyes have been en vogue since far before the invention of filters and Facetune. Concealer advertisements from the 1950s even showed models miraculously aging in reverse after the product was applied to camouflage their dark circles. "We don't want to look tired, stressed, sad, or vulnerable," said Dr. Jeffrey Spiegel, a top Boston plastic surgeon. "All these things are read in the eye." For many 20-somethings opting for the procedure, their undereyes are congenital — meaning they are essentially "born with eye bags," said Mettu. "I see patients commonly in their 20s that tell me 'I've had this my whole life,'" Dr. Ivan Vrcek, a Dallas-based oculoplastic surgeon, said. "It's not about age, it's about anatomy. You could be 50 and not have the problem, or you could be 25 and have the problem worse than a 50-year-old." Although no amount of eye cream or lasers can counteract the genetics responsible for eye bags, surgery can for many. The option has become increasingly attractive as the pendulum swings away from injectables — filler use increased by just 1% in 2024, according to the ASPS — and toward long-lasting procedures. This permanence was what drew Gordon to lower blepharoplasty — she wasn't interested in "Band-Aid" approaches like filler or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections. Both require multiple sessions and thus, payments. Filler can run you anywhere from $500 to $1,500 per syringe, and PRP can range from $500 to $2,000 per session of which providers recommend doing at least three. Meanwhile, the average cost of a lower blepharoplasty can be about $5,100 — and it's typically a one-time procedure. In total, Gordon paid $9,500 all-in for her lower blepharoplasty (nearly $900 was for the general anesthesia, under which most surgeons perform the procedure), which she paired with a CO2 laser to tighten and a fat transfer to plump the area — a number that, while high to some, made sense to her. "I was like, 'Oh my gosh, that's a lot of money,'" said Gordon. "But if I were to consider if I did under-eye filler and I would get it touched up once a year for the rest of my life, that, to me, sounded like way more money than doing a surgery." Plus, because the procedure is often done transconjunctivally (meaning the incision is made inside the eyelid), patients typically experience bruising and slight swelling, but no visible scarring, and pain that is often manageable with over-the-counter medications and ice. Immediately after her procedure, besides a haze from the anesthesia, Gordon said she felt "zero pain." "Even the next couple days, I had no pain on my face, which most people are shocked to hear." Most patients are back to work in a week, said Vrcek. "Oftentimes, it's impossible to tell that someone actually had the blepharoplasty," said Chicago-based oculofacial plastic surgeon Dr. Paul Phelps. Lower blepharoplasty's new demographic Vrcek said lower blepharoplasty's popularity has "exploded" in his practice within the past five years. Of the 12 lower blepharoplasties he averages each week, he estimates that half are done on women in their 20s and 30s. Spiegel, a top Boston plastic surgeon, added that he'd seen five patients under the age of 30 for blepharoplasty consultations recently. Mettu said he's seeing a lot more lower-blepharoplasty patients between the ages of 20 and 29 than he has in the past two years — and his youngest is a 20-year-old who traveled to him for this procedure in June. "It is kind of an old-school mindset of, 'This person is too young for surgery,'" said Mettu. "As long as someone's 18 and older, and is cognitively able to have an informed discussion … then I think if they're a good candidate, surgery is reasonable." Lower blepharoplasty's rising popularity is partially thanks to the social media content being posted about it. Gordon's videos on her surgery, for example, have over 7 million views. In 2024, then-28-year-old influencer Madeline White chronicled her experience in several videos, which have garnered almost 14 million views. And since being posted in January, 26-year-old content creator Jas Anahis 's videos about her lower blepharoplasty, done by Mettu, have been viewed over 11 million times. Mettu said he received over 10 consultation requests within 24 hours of Anahis's first video being posted, then more in the weeks that followed. "Many young people didn't realize that lower blepharoplasty was an option for them," he said. "When a popular video comes up, or a transformation video, people see that and they realize what's possible." One of those women was 27-year-old Sugelly Machado. In March, she drove from Connecticut to North Carolina for her lower blepharoplasty with Mettu after coming across Anahis's videos while researching the procedure. "I don't see it as plastic surgery. I just see it as an enhancement." Sugelly Machado, who got a lower blepharoplasty at 27 "I was like, 'I'm getting it,'" Machado said after seeing her video. "There was no doubt in my mind." Machado's eye bags were genetic, and given her age, she knew she didn't want to wait another 20 years to address them. Despite being confident, she said they were her only insecurity. Pre-surgery, she recalls rarely leaving the house without fake lashes or posting on social media without a filter to hide them. "My friends would always be like, 'Oh, your eyes are so puffy,' or 'You look so tired,'" Machado said. "And I'm like, 'I'm not tired. I got eight hours of sleep. I don't know what to tell you.'" Now, three months post-op, Machado has zero regrets. "I can leave the house without putting on makeup," she said. "I genuinely feel beautiful." Machado also shared her blepharoplasty experience on her TikTok account. A video of her before-and-after garnered more than 1.4 million views, and many commenters looked for the details of what she had done. And although she said her goal is never to convince any of her followers to get surgery, sharing the details of her lower blepharoplasty felt different. "I don't see it as plastic surgery," she said. "I just see it as an enhancement." Our eyes matter — a lot The amount of time spent looking at ourselves — in real life and online — is another motivator for these women, said Spiegel. This was the case for 30-year-old Kiana Robinson, who, despite first noticing her "puffy" eye bags back in 2017, hadn't considered surgery until she started working a remote job that required frequent video calls. "I was in a very high-demand job," she said, "and I feel like people were like, 'Are you OK?' 'Have you been crying all night?'" When eye creams and heavy hydration didn't minimize the appearance of her eye bags, Robinson went to Mettu to ask about filler. He suggested lower blepharoplasty instead. She had it done in April. Three months after her surgery, Robinson describes the mental and physical difference as "night and day." "When you see that change, you feel younger," she said. "Perception-wise, you feel healthier." It's no surprise Robinson feels this way — eyes are one of the first areas of the face to show signs of aging. Eye bags rarely shrink with age (or a daily-use serum), and this is especially true for congenital ones, which can worsen with age. "I'm not going to be miserable for 30 years and then determine, 'Maybe I'll look into it," Machado said about her decision to get the procedure in her 20s. "I feel like if the ladies in their 50s had all the resources that we had, they would have done it in their 20s as well." Although younger patients are increasingly showing up for consultations, surgeons note they aren't always agreeing to perform the procedure. "I spend a lot of time telling people, 'You look good, you look normal, you are healthy,'" said Spiegel. "'Ignore what you're seeing online.'" Given the sensitive nature of eyes and their functionality, lower blepharoplasty carries inherent risks — including dry eye and vision changes — which is why surgeons urge prospective patients to do their research. It's also important to rule out potential health issues, like sleep apnea or allergies, which can contribute to prominent eye bags. "People need to be aware that those underlying issues and self-confidence are things that should be worked on in conjunction, and not hanging their whole hat on surgery," Phelps said. Though the procedure has been known to promise long-term results, Phelps also cautions that, as with any surgery, people should be aware of how they're treating their body afterward. For the first two weeks, surgeons typically recommend avoiding strenuous physical activity, alcohol consumption, and makeup. "If you don't take care of your body, you may have a problem with longevity," Phelps said. "But for a person who's taking good care, as they should be, it should last basically forever." Now 29, Gordon is in the midst of planning her 2026 nuptials — an event she is happy to have gotten her surgery done before. "I'm not going to be nervous about my wedding pictures or how my bags look," she said. "Now I'm thinking about a boob job, but that's a different story."
Indian Express
19-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Lightricks launches LTXV, its new AI model that generates 60-second videos
Lightricks, the Israeli tech company best known for apps like Facetune and Videoleap, is expanding into professional production of AI generative videos that will set them apart from the competitors With the launch of its new model, LTXV, the company claims it can produce continuous AI-generated video content exceeding 60 seconds. This is significantly longer than what's currently possible with leading models like OpenAI's Sora, Google's Veo or Runway's Gen-4.. According to Lightricks co-founder and CEO Zeev Farbman, LTXV 'unlocks a new era for generative media.' He explains that the model is designed to start streaming results immediately, generating the first second almost instantly and building the rest of the sequence on the fly. The system uses overlapping frame chunks to preserve continuity—ensuring that characters, motion, and storyline remain consistent across time. This autoregressive approach is similar to the way large language models like ChatGPT generate text, except LTXV applies it visually, frame by frame. LTXV reportedly delivers output much faster than competitors like Veo 3, Runway Gen-4, or Kuaishou's Kling, which often make users wait several minutes for a few seconds of video. In a live demo, Lightricks showcased a continuous 60-second video featuring a woman cooking as a gorilla walks in and hugs her, an example of how the model maintains narrative flow without stuttering or abrupt transitions. That LTXV is open source and unrestricted by a proprietary API is notable. The model will be available on GitHub and Hugging Face as open weights. It is free to use for individuals and small teams earning less $10 million annually. According to Farbman, this supports Lightricks' 'open development for real-world application' approach, which gives developers and independent artists the freedom to expand upon the core engine. From a technical standpoint, the new model is fast and lightweight. It can be powered by a single Nvidia H100 or even high-end consumer GPUs. However, Farbman points out that available benchmarks for other models often require multiple H100s to produce just five seconds of high-resolution video. Veo 3 from Google LLC is the only AI video model that can also create its own audio tracks. Nevertheless, Lightricks' most recent developments coincide with the big AI video production companies. Everyone is making efforts to set themselves apart from the competition, and its rivals can boast a number of distinctive features of their own.
Forbes
16-07-2025
- Forbes
LTX Video Breaks The 60-Second Barrier, Redefining AI Video As A Longform Medium
Lightricks, the Israeli AI startup best known for viral mobile apps like Facetune and Videoleap, is pushing deeper into professional production territory with a technical milestone that sets it apart from its peers in generative video. With the release of its new autoregressive video model, LTXV, the company claims it can now generate clips over 60 seconds long, eight times the current standard length for AI video. That includes OpenAI's Sora, Google's Veo, and Runway's Gen-4, none of which yet support real-time rendering at this scale. According to CEO and co-founder Zeev Farbman, this breakthrough 'unlocks a new era for generative media,' not just because of length, but because of what extended sequences enable: narrative. 'It's the difference between a visual stunt and a scene,' Farbman told me in a recent interview. 'AI video becomes a medium for storytelling, not just a demo.' LTXV's new architecture streams video in real time, returning the first second almost instantly and building the rest on the fly. The system uses small chunks of overlapping frames to condition what comes next, allowing continuity of motion, character, and action throughout the sequence. It's the same autoregressive approach that powers large language models like ChatGPT, applied to visual storytelling frame-by-frame. I saw the demo working on a Zoom call last week. Most systems, including top models like Veo 3, Runway 4, and Kling, make you wait minutes for generations. LTX is much faster. The system rendered a continuous 60-second scene of a woman cooking as a gorilla entered the kitchen and hugged her. The video streamed as it was generated, with very few pauses. Another scene showed a car passing under a bridge, then emerging on the other side, then continuing its journey—all without jarring cuts or jumps in logic. Particularly notable is that LTXV is open source, not locked behind a proprietary API. The model will be made available as open weights on GitHub and Hugging Face. It's free to use for individuals and small teams generating less than $10 million in revenue. Farbman says this aligns with Lightricks' strategy of 'open development for real-world application,' empowering both indie creators and developers to build on the core engine. From a technical perspective, the new model is fast and light. It runs on a single Nvidia H100, or even on high-end consumer GPUs. By contrast, Farbman points out, public benchmarks for other models often require multiple H100s just to produce five seconds of high-resolution video. The implications go far beyond YouTube clips. Lightricks envisions uses in advertising, real-time game cutscenes, adaptive educational content, and augmented reality performances. Imagine an AR character performing onstage with a musician, rendered live and reacting in real time.'We've reached the point where AI video isn't just prompted, but truly directed,' added Yaron Inger, co-founder and CTO. 'This leap turns AI video into a longform storytelling platform, and not just a visual trick.' This is part of a broader roadmap for LTX Studio, the company's browser-based production platform that offers script-to-scene authoring, character tracking, and style consistency. Multimodal support, including motion capture and audio-based conditioning, will be released soon. Next up: 4K video output and seamless frame interpolation for smoother motion. Farbman was quick to acknowledge that there's still work to be done. 'Prompt adherence in longform content is the next big frontier,' he said. 'We're seeing dramatic improvements, but scenes with complex interpersonal action are still hard.' Still, what I saw was far beyond what most AI video tools can manage today. As for monetization, Farbman says Lightricks is in talks with larger studios and platforms about commercial licensing and revenue share deals, while keeping development open for the broader creative community. 'We believe AI filmmaking shouldn't just be for engineers,' he said. 'It should be for storytellers.'
Cosmopolitan
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Can We Stop Bringing Up Everyone On Love Island's Acne?
'His acne is his karma,' writes a Redditor about Nicolas Vansteenberghe, a contestant on season 7 of Peacock's Love Island USA. 'The whole time I was looking at that fuck ass pimple and just laughing at it,' another chimes in. On another thread, someone noted islander Taylor Williams was wearing a slew of pimple patches on his face. 'Lend one to your bro,' they said, referencing Nic's breakout. (And when he finally does stick on a pimple patch, people pointed that out too.) On TikTok, Facetune's editing out Nic's pimple with the caption, 'the nerve he had to dump Bella-A with this bombshell on his face…' People shared a gazillion videos highlighting islander Austin Shepard's breakouts. 'Anyone else wish they could pop these, or am I insane?' one person wrote. 'Nasty pimples,' another added. The presence of acne makes sense to me. The humid climate in Fiji, new products, sharing a bed with someone new, constant face-to-face action, heightened stress—all of the above are the perfect recipe for breakouts. But what doesn't make sense is why someone's zits are such a cause for ridicule and speculation at our big ages? It's uncharted territory seeing acne on TV when it's not a plot point. There aren't really any other reality shows without producer intervention (dabbing on some concealer or powder whenever a contestant has a zit or a lil excess shine). Over the years, we've gotten a few episodes of Summer House that showcased a few breakouts on Paige DeSorbo and Amanda Batula—both of which resulted in partnerships with acne-friendly skincare brand Face Reality. But on Love Is Blind, The Bachelor, The Ultimatum, Temptation Island, Are You The One—I've never seen a contestant with an angry zit on their face. Love Island is really in a league of its own, showing us very real and up-close shots of people without professionals glamming them up. Throwback to Ronnie Vint on the U.K. version last summer after he'd washed the Toppik fibers out of his scalp before bed, unveiling a hairline that was much farther back than we'd seen earlier in the episode. And even when the islanders do have makeup on, it's all done by themselves. We see women meticulously apply a face every morning that's intended to look "light and natural," before spending all day in the sun, followed by another full-beat routine before nighttime in the villa. Before bed, we watch our islanders indulge in their skincare routines: removing their makeup with cleansing wipes, shaving in the mirror, combing a spoolie through their eyelash extensions, and wrapping their hair up in a silk bonnet. I love seeing those moments because it's a reminder that these are all real people who've signed up to have their lives and emotions broadcast in 4K. Look, I get it: When you sign up for reality TV fame and the potential to win $100,000, you put yourself at risk for audience commentary. The contestants on season 7 are getting that criticism far more than any other season of the USA franchise, and even more than I've noticed in U.K. seasons past. But the incessant remarks about the islanders' skin this year prove that we still have a really narrow view of acne—one that believes it's embarrassing, something we can control, and, worst of all, makes a person gross and unattractive. It's frustrating, and something I thought, as a beauty editor with a face of acne as I'm typing this, we'd gotten past. Acne is, first and foremost, a hormonal bodily response. When your hormones fluctuate—like during puberty or on your period, or truly, at any given time, based on my personal experience—your sebaceous glands kick into overdrive, which mix with dead skin cells and bacteria and clog your pores. It's almost entirely out of your control and due to genetics. It's most definitely not a karmic response for breaking things off with a romantic interest. Sure, there are intervention tactics, like washing your face every night, exfoliating with a salicylic acid toner or serum, or seeing your dermatologist for prescription topicals and medications. However, there's no cure whatsoever, and a zit can pop up at any time—especially when you've suddenly found yourself in a love triangle in Fiji. No one's immune to breakouts. So why do we feel the need to point it out when we see one on Peacock? Maybe Nic and Austin aren't our favorite islanders, but who really cares if they've got acne on their faces? If we want to watch all the crash-outs and connections and drama, we've also gotta deal with the other very-human aspects of reality stars, including the potential zit on their face. Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
Gulf Today
08-06-2025
- Health
- Gulf Today
Social media, self esteem: What's the connection?
Megan Moreno, Tribune News Service Ever since social media burst on the scene in the early 2000s, parents and health experts have worried about the potential impact on kids, particularly those in their early teens. Now researchers are asking how the curated content that kids see online makes them feel about themselves. Newer studies show that picture-perfect selfies and videos on Instagram, TikTok and other social media platforms can shake a young person's confidence. Kids who compare their authentic lives to these unreal images may find themselves feeling anxiety, envy and sometimes obsessive thoughts that can harm their health. Celebrities and influencers work hard to attract social followers — usually with an army of stylists, makeup artists, trainers and videographers helping them. But thanks to filters and photo editing tools like Facetune and others, kids may feel they can make themselves look perfect too. More than 70% of social media users refuse to post pictures online before Photoshopping them, one study shows. This desire to erase all flaws can be especially harmful for kids of colour. Research shows that photo editing apps often use beauty standards modelled on white people, reinforcing racist views of what's attractive and what's not. Setting goals and striving to meet them can be good for kids. But extreme content on social media can push them toward unrealistic standards that encourage dangerous habits. Some trends fueled by social media reflect unhealthy body images. This includes trends such as bigorexia, which drives young people to spend countless hours in the gym and eat a protein-heavy diet to build a 'jacked' body, or ultra-low-calorie eating plans displayed in 'what I eat in a day' videos posted by celebrities and influencers. Social platforms are designed to keep kids scrolling by serving up the content they like best. Most social media platforms use an algorithm to track what users view and watch to deliver similar content. This means that a teen who views unhealthy content out of curiosity may be shown more and more content of that type. It can become nearly impossible for them to outrun the images and stories that can drive compulsive behaviours. Social media's overall impact on an individual child is fueled by several factors. This includes their temperament, personality, health status, peer group and the content they view. However, it is also important to keep an eye on ways that social media can crowd out healthy behaviours that are also critical to mental health and self-esteem. For example, social media can contribute to reduced quality and quantity of sleep. It can also crowd out other important responsibilities such as schoolwork and time with family and friends. Even kids who don't fall into harmful eating or workout regimes may experience this crowding out of healthy behaviors and habits. Here are some suggestions from the American Academy of Pediatrics Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health that can help your child use social media in positive ways to learn, connect and grow. The first step is to engage in open communication. Kids often resist any move adults make to curb their freedom, so aim for a nonjudgmental approach. Ask your child to guide you by asking questions like what types of media they have been enjoying lately or simply asking if any content they've come across worries them or makes them uncomfortable. As your child opens up, try to listen more than talk. Make this a learning session that will help you uncover possible concerns and topics for future conversations. You don't have to 'solve' everything about social media in one conversation; the goal is to keep the lines of communication open over time. You may find your child knows a lot about the inner workings of the digital world. Still, they may not think too deeply about the content 'bubble' that algorithms create. If they're willing, try this experiment: Open your own social platform and search for something new. For example, if your feed focuses on sports or fashion, search for 'home improvement' or 'coin collecting.' Within a few clicks, you'll start to see new content on those topics. If your child is showing signs they have been comparing themselves to the unattainable content they see online, it may help to acknowledge that comparing ourselves to others is natural, but perfectionism can harm us. Pointing to examples from your own life may be helpful. For example: 'I used to watch hours of videos showing how to improve my tennis swing. But in the end, it just made me feel nervous about my game. Going out and practicing worked a lot better.'
